With the proliferation of Internet websites, a major problem for website providers is attracting and retaining Internet users. This problem is of critical importance because advertising revenues, which is the major source of revenue for many websites, is often linked to the number of users visiting a site and the amount of time users spend on a site.
One technique used to attract users is to award points for, for example, purchasing goods through a website, which may be redeemed for merchandise or other prizes. Such a technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,870 to Storey. One drawback of this technique is that it is generally applicable only to websites where goods are sold and requires that the website provider have some manner of goods or services to be exchanged for points. Another drawback is that many Internet users are reluctant to make purchases over the Internet and therefore an award program based on purchases will not attract these users. Still another drawback of this technique is that it requires Internet users to actively redeem accumulated points, which some users may find bothersome. Another drawback is that it requires the Internet provider to provide and support a points redemption program.